'...You desire truth in the inward parts...' Psalm 51:6 NKJV
These are some other thoughts that I did not get into my message on speaking the truth a couple of weeks ago. Its amazing how we have just assimilated into our value system the worlds standard of lying. It looks like your going to get a piece of Sundays message about values as well. (By the way have you written out your values yet?)According to Psychology Today, more people say they have cheated on their marriage partners than on their income tax returns or expense accounts. Nearly half say that if they scratched another car in the parking lot they would drive away without leaving a note, although 89 percent agree that it would be wrong. Perhaps the question shouldn't be, 'Why does God demand such honesty of us?' but rather, 'Why do we tolerate such dishonesty?' Jeremiah weighs in: 'The heart is deceitful above all things...' (Jeremiah 17:9 NIV) For many of us, our credo is, 'You shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you squirm.' At the age of three, when Mom asked, 'Did you hit your little brother?' we knew that honesty had its consequences. So we learned to rationalize: 'Uhhhh, well, it's not really lying.' And we learned to cover things up. 'Did I hit my baby brother? That all depends on how you interpret the word hit. I mean, sure, I made contact with him, but would a jury consider it a hit? Everything is relative, you know.' Or we excuse ourselves: 'Did I hit my baby brother? Yes, Mom, I did. But it's not my fault. Had I been born with nonaggressive chromosomes and had you not permitted me to watch television, it would never have happened. So I can say I hit my brother, but the fault isn't mine. I'm a victim of nurture and nature.' We might smile, but the Psalmist said, 'You desire truth in the inward parts, and in the hidden part You will make me to know wisdom.' You are loved...
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